Double bassist Kaisa Mäensivu presents her new top trio and vocal skills with her fresh album! The album called Hand Picked will be released on Friday, March 5, 2021 by Turku-based record company Flame Jazz Records.
Kaisa Mäensivu's second studio album Hand Picked brings out new aspects of the musician in the form of a tasty and versatile whole. The carefully selected songs on the album, the name of which also refers to the "keystroke" of the bass, include her own compositions as well as covers with Finnish texts sung and written by Mäensivu. The album also strongly highlights Mäensivu's prowess with her own instrument, double bass.
Mäensivu has lived and worked for several years in New York, the jazz capital of the world. After returning to Finland in the summer of 2020, she founded a new trio with her spouse, New York drummer Joe Peri, and vibraphone virtuoso Severi Pyysalo. The fresh album features three songs from the trio and the whimsically grooving drum-bass duo The Lemur. The album will also feature musicians familiar from Kaisa’s Machine, saxophonist Max Zenger, keyboardist Mikael Myrskog and drummer Jonatan Sarikoski.
The most surprising part of the ensemble is Mäensivu's new side as a singer - previously her vocals have been heard mainly in the ranks of the vocal ensemble Signe. Hand Picked is a fascinating, atmospheric and feel good experience guaranteed to delight its listeners.
Kaisa Mäensivu's new album is the seventh release of Flame Jazz Records. The record release concert will be heard as an online concert at the Turku Jazz Stream Festival on March 6, 2021.
"Band is led by a strong, highly musical bass presence of Kaisa Mäensivu." – London Jazz News
Record release concert
6.3.2021 at 19, Kaisa Mäensivu: Hand Picked
Turku Jazz Stream Festival,
Keikalla.fi
Kaisa Mäensivu – bass and vocals
Severi Pyysalo – vibraphone
Joe Peri (US) – drums
Kaisa Mäensivu: Hand Picked
Release date: March 5, 2021
Record company: Flame Jazz Records
Digital distribution: Playground Music Finland
Physical distribution: Flame Jazz Records
Formats: digital, CD and LP (vinyl)
Recording, mixing and mastering: Hannu Lamminmäki, 2020
Photos: Teemu Mattsson
Cover design: Kasperi Salovaara
Track list
1. Season’s Best
comp. Severi Pyysalo
2. Mä Kelasin Sua
comp. Jimmy van Heusen, lyrics Kaisa Mäensivu
3. Codenames
comp. Kaisa Mäensivu
4. Tähdet
comp. Gene de Paul & Don Raye, lyrics Kaisa Mäensivu
5. Talviuni
comp. Kaisa Mäensivu
6. The Lemur
comp. Kaisa Mäensivu
Kaisa Mäensivu – bass and vocals
Severi Pyysalo – vibraphone
Joe Peri – drums (1-2, 4,6)
Max Zenger – saxophone (3,5)
Mikael Myrskog – piano (3,5)
Jonatan Sarikoski – drums (3,5)